TBT – Cecil Street (Again?)

02Apr

Okay – I seem to have a fascination with Cecil Street, which is now considered Kings Drive. Back in the day however, Cecil Street used to end at the pasture for Thompson Orphanage and then take up on the other side of the property near Central High School. This picture, taken in the early 1950’s on the street at the edge of the Cherry Community features my dear hubby, his dad and two of his siblings Greg and Beverly Perry. Unfortunately, three of them have passed on, but I still have the hubby!

Albert Perry, Leroy Perry, Gregory Perry and Beverly Perry at the end of Cecil Street in the early 1950’s. Photo from the author’s collection.

Here is what that spot looks like today:

Cecil Street at Kings Drive 2015. Image courtesy of Google Earth.

I wish that my late father in law could have seen the changes in his hometown. Oh well, I think he is looking down and smiling. I hope that everyone has a safe holiday weekend!

4 responses to “TBT – Cecil Street (Again?)”

I remember the Cecil Street Grocery store on that corner … well before “Independence” Blvd. was slashed through there. The name was on one of those soft drink signs (Coca-Cola?) that the bottlers provided to the merchants.

No, that was a little bit before my time (1940s, early 50s). 🙂 The grocery store building could have still been standing at the corner of Kings Dr. and (now) Charlottetowne — where a Vitamin store is now — in the late 60s.

My connection with Cecil St. was on the other end … the Nature Museum was first housed in a white frame house across from the old Armory Auditorium on Cecil St, behind Central High School. I have an old (1931) “Snips and Cuts” annual from Central that has an aerial photo of the campus, showing the Armory (well before the construction of Memorial Stadium), the Central athletic field directly across Cecil, and the white house that later housed the Nature Museum.